Valhalla
by kiinchu
Summary: If you're not selfish, you'll never get what you want. Even monsters deserve a happy ending.
1. Kita Nama

**Valhalla **

* * *

**Chapter One: Kita Nama**

A small girl with gray-green eyes stared up at her mother. Her small, toddler-like hands gripped the woman's dress as she moved the fabric back and forth in an attempt to get her attention.

"Kita," the woman snapped, looking down at her daughter. "I said give me a second."

"But, moooooooom," the girl wined, turning her attention to the man beside her mother. "We need to go now."

"In a minute," the woman responded, tearing her dress away from the child. The little girl pouted, but didn't dare move.

"I'm right, you know," the girl said, turning her back towards her mother and sitting down with her arms crossed. "That man is evil."

* * *

"Cut it out, Naruto!"

The troublemaker stuck his head out of the classroom door just in time to almost head bump the girl who had been walking towards them.

"Yikes! You sure scared me, lady," he said, stumbling backwards.

"Lady?" The girl asked, eyes wide. "Uh... okay."

"Hey, why are you dressed so funny?"

"Naruto, you just can't ask people why they're dressed funny. Stop being so rude!"

The girl looked from the kid with the spikey blonde hair to his pink haired companion, and then down at herself. She wore tight black pants, a fishnet shirt, and a rather large, red shall across her shoulders.

"I... uh... okay," the girl responded. "I'm gonna go now."

"What was that all about?" Naruto asked, scratching his head as the girl walked away. "Now... what was I going to do? OH YEAH!" He sprinted towards the chalk board, picking up the eraser and cackling to himself. Sakura got ready to lecture him, but was cut short by an ANBU running down the hall.

"Lady Kita! Lady Kita!" The ANBU stopped, glancing in the room at the three children who stared with wide eyes at the monkey man in front of him.

"Uh..." the three dead panned at once.

"Have you seen a girl about this high," the man moved his hand slightly lower than his shoulder. "With black hair?"

All three pointed towards the direction the girl had gone.

"Thank you!" The ANBU yelled as his sprinted away. "Get back here!"

"What was that all about..." Sakura asked, before turning back to Naruto who had successfully managed to place the eraser on top of the door. "Naruto!"

* * *

"There you are."

The raven haired girl turned, grinning at the sight of the monkey mask that was staring up at her. She had been standing in one of the trees near Kohana's academy, staring over the building in awe.

"Come on, Lady Kita. It's time to go home."

"I don't want to go home," the girl said, glaring at him with strange eyes. "I want to stay here."

"You know you can't do that," the ANBU responded. "It was against Lady Hitomi's wishes."

"HA," the girl barked. "We both know my mother wasn't much of a Lady." The girl stuck out her tongue.

"Miss, please. I don't want to force you."

"Okay, Mr. ANBU. I'll come with you. For a bargain."

"And what would that be?"

"Show me your face!" She laughed. The ANBU sighed.

"What in the world possessed the Hokage to put her under my care..." he grumbled. "Alright, I'm coming up!"

* * *

"But, Hokage! I can't live like this anymore!"

The Hokage stared down at the girl in front of his desk. She had grown up much in the six years she had been put under the village's care, yet her maturity was still lacking.

"I will not tell you again... you cannot become a ninja."

"Then I'll defect! I'll leave the village and join a new one. Come on, Mr. Sarutobi," she was flailing her arms at this point, her gray-green eyes wide with enthusiasm. "Would you rather me be fighting with you guys, or against you?"

"Why do you want to be a ninja so bad?" The ANBU asked. "Maybe if you explain to the Hokage, he'll help you."

"No, he won't," the girl said, crossing her arms over her chest and closing her eyes. "Becuase my mother told him never to let me. And for some reason, the request of a dead person is much more valuable than the request of a living, breathing person that is standing right in front of him."

"KITA, show some respect! To both your mother and the Hokage!"

"Oh, quiet," she responded, sticking her tongue out at the monkey mask. "It's not like you knew her, anyway. And besides," she opened her eyes, staring the old man straight on. "It's not like the Hokage deserves my respect. He can earn that when he's chasing me out of the village gates. Kita, come back! He'll whine. We're sorry! But it'll be too late, I'll be gone and - OW!"

The girl rubbed her head where the ANBU had whacked her.

"Whatever," she grumbled. "I'm going home."

"Kita," Sarutobi said, closing his eyes as the girl turned away from him. "If you walk out of those village gates, you'll be classified as a missing person. You'll be seen as a traitor to your village. You will be seen as a threat. "

"Except," she said, holding up one of her fingers. "I'm not a shinobi. Which means I have no classified information to give other villages. I can't very well be charged with treason, when I have nothing that could harm the village anyway, could I?"

"You could harm the village," the man responded. "It's our duty to keep you safe."

"Bullshit!"

"Kita!"

"No, let go of me," she yelled, ripping her arm from the ANBU's grasp. "This is bullshit! I didn't ask for this! Everyone's gone, don't you see that, old man? They're gone! Forever! And it was because no one was there to protect them!"

The room was silent, except for the sound of the young girl's tears hitting the floor.

"Just..." she wiped her face. "I need to protect everyone..."

The Hokage sighed.

"Go home, Kita. Shiro will walk you."

* * *

There was a stampede of people running towards her, but she wouldn't budge.

The small five year old had hid herself under the floorboards near the wooden staircase. She watched as the band of ex-shinobi ran about the house in a fluster.

"It's over."

The young girl's eyes widened at the sound of her mother's voice.

The girl closed her eyes as soon as the fighting began. She had eventually fallen asleep underneath the floorboards, and when she awoke...

Everyone was dead.

* * *

"You're insane!" Danzo practically yelled. "There's no way she can be a shinobi! Do you know how much easier that would make it for the other villages?"

"Danzo, while I see your point, it can't be helped. The child has threatened to leave the village."

"Please, Hokage," the man argued. "How hard is it to stop a little girl? ANBU are watching her day and night. And besides, if she becomes too much, we can just lock her up. Kita Nama will never leave this village."

The elders nodded in agreement with the bandaged man.

"You aren't thinking clearly," Sarutobi responded, narrowing his eyes. "You are only thinking of what is best for yourself. Do you honestly believe... that she will be that easily detained?"

"We will see to it."

* * *

"Kaskashi, there has been a slight change to the mission."

The man sighed.

"Please tell me they can still take the bridge builder... I don't think I can handle Naruto's bickering much longer."

"No, team 7 will still be taking Mr. Tazuna back to the Land of Waves," the Hokage responded, causing Kakashi a relieved sighed. "However, you will also be escorting someone else."

"Hmmm?"

"Kita Nama will be traveling with you," the Hokage responded, causing a questioning glance from the jounin. "She will be told that this mission is to test her ability as a ninja, but in actuality... it is for her protection."

"So..."

"So, when you reach the Land of Waves, there will be a ninja from Suna waiting for you. You will place Lady Kita under their protection."

"But... she is the last of the Nama clan... her father would - "

"Her father's wish was the protection of his daughter. As much as I hate to say it, Lord Kenji could have cared less for the land of fire."

Kakashi nodded.

"Understood."


	2. Intentions

**A/N: HEY! So I'm not much of a talker, but here's chapter two.**

**For those of you reading, please let me know what you think. Good or bad. **

**And to any one that's interested, I have another story in progress called the Raven. I'm more prone to updates for that one, because it's my favorite.**

* * *

**Chapter Two: Intentions**

* * *

"So, you're Kita Nama?"

The silver haired jounin stared down at the short girl in front of him. He had never really gotten to see Lord Kenji's daughter; she had been under the constant protection of ANBU since her entry to the village six years ago. From what he gathered, she didn't get to get out much.

_And why would she want to be a ninja?_ He questioned.

The girl nodded. "So, are you the one taking me on this so called "test mission"?"

Kakashi sighed. "That would be me. Come on, we're already late."

* * *

"Kakashi-sensei!" All three genin yelled at once. "You're late!"

The man only sighed, rubbing the back of his head in annoyance.

"I have a good excuse this time, I promise," he said, patting the girl's head beside him.

"Hey! You're that girl from the academy!" Naruto yelled. "Why was that ANBU chasing after you?"

Kita grinned, placing her hands on her hips and cocking her head slightly. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Team, this is Kita Nama. She will be joining us in bringing Mr. Tazuna home."

"Excuse me, Kakashi-sensei... I don't mean to be rude but, why is she coming along with us?" Sakura asked. "I mean... she's not apart of our team."

Kakashi didn't exactly think this far into it; he didn't have enough time to brief his students on the real nature of this mission, and even if he did... he feared they could not keep their mouths shut about the truth. He was basically setting the girl up for failure, which inevitably set his team up as well. It was a staged kidnapping, and at the end of the day Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura would have to pay the price for it.

"It's a test," Kita answered for him. "The Hokage said if I can help you guys complete this mission, then I get to be a shinobi."

"Whaaaattt? You're not even a ninja!?" Naruto gaped. "Kakashi-sensei, how do you expect us to work with her when she can't even fight?"

Tazuna nodded. "For once, I agree with the annoying blonde kid. Aren't you guys supposed to be focused on protecting me? Not on testing out a little brat?"

"I can protect you, old man!" Kita said, stomping her foot. "Just watch!"

The girl closed her eyes and made a single hand seal. The five onlookers watched, eyes wide, as the air around them began to thicken and form a barrier around all of them.

Opening one of her eyes, Kita smiled and stuck out her tongue.

"See? If there's ever any danger... I can just protect you with this! No one can break through it."

"Well, I guess," Naruto said, crossing his arms over his chest before mumbling a small "show off" under his breath.

* * *

"Uh, Mr. Tazuna? You come from the land of waves, right?"

They were walking through the forest now; all four of them stationed around the old man, with Kakashi leading the troop. It was Sakura who spoke, her obnoxiously pink hair flowing behind her as they walked. Kita made note of this from the beginning; Sakura was the one with pink hair, Naruto had sun-yellow, and Sasuke... well, his hair was as dark as his personality. He didn't say much, unless it was to bag on his yellow-haired teammate.

"Yeah. Whast of it?" The old man asked.

"Are there ninja in that country, too?"

"No, there's not," Kita felt herself respond. Suddenly all eyes were on her. She held up her hands. "I mean, uh..." she was sweating now, uncomfortable. "There's... most other lands have Hidden Villages. The Wave... doesn't."

Kakashi nodded. "She's right."

The older shinobi began to elaborate, allowing Kita a sigh of relief. She pretended not to notice coal black eyes staring at her from across the formation._ I shouldn't have said that._.. she thought, ignoring the raven haired boy's awkward stare._ Kids who didn't go to the academy shouldn't know that... and obviously kids that went to the academy don't, either._ She glanced at Sakura._ The only reason I know that is because I was trying to figure out which land to run away to... I just need to stop opening my big, stupid mouth. All it does it get me into trouble._

It was at the end of this thought that Kita felt herself being thrown to the ground. When she looked up, Kakashi had been caught with a chain wrapped around his torso.

"One little piggy..." And suddenly the man was cut in half. Kita gasped, covering her mouth and closing her eyes at the sight. _No, no, no, no... not again._

"Two little piggies," suddenly, two ninja appeared behind the blonde loud mouth. He pulled out his chain, getting ready to trap the boy but his teammate was too fast; Sasuke had caught the chain with his shuriken, before attacking the man and his partner.

Everything was happening so fast. Kita got up as one of the ninja turned to Sakura, the other one still after the blonde. The raven haired girl charged at him, a kunai in each hand, but she was too slow. The man turned fast enough to hit her head with his own, knocking her back down to the ground.

"Kita!" Sakura yelled. _Kakashi's gone, what do I do? I need to... protect the old man! S_he stood in front of Mr. Tazuna, weapons held in front of her. _No matter what._

"Wind Barrier!" The girl yelled, holding up a single seal. Sakura watched with wide eyes as the same, thick-aired barrier formed around her and the old man just as the man attacked. His weapons couldn't break the barrier.

Kita got up just as the man turned to her, scrambling to her feet and running towards Naruto and Sasuke. _I don't know if I can make a barrier for them, too... I've never done two at once before, but I'll try!_

She didn't get the chance, however, because a familiar silver haired jounin appeared, catching the foreign ninja by his throat.

"Kakashi-sensei! Thank god!" Sakura yelled, falling to her knees behind the barrier.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I should have jumped in sooner... but I never thought you'd freeze up. Good job, though." He turned towards the raven haired girl, who had stopped mid-stride. _She's not too bad, for a beginner... What is the Hokage thinking?_

"Are you hurt, scaredy cat?" Sasuke said with a smirk. Naruto was still frozen in sight. Kakashi sighed, informing Naruto of the cut on his hand, causing the blonde to freak out. Kita had no idea what possessed the boy to stab his hand without thinking; sure, it could be seen as a noble act, but at this point it was just childish.

_What was the Hokage thinking, putting me with these idiots_? She sighed, taking a seat on the ground and crossing her legs. _We almost die... and then this idiot tries to purposely harm himself, when he could have just used a small, clean cut to increase the blood flow and bleed out the poison. I just... don't understand._

It was at this point that the old bridge builder decided to speak up. "Um.. there's something I need to tell you..."

* * *

_"Um, Lord Kenji..." the man before him lowered himself on one knee. "There's something I need to tell you." _

_The raven haired man looked down at the ANBU in front of him. "What is it?" He asked. "And stand up, please. There's no need to kneel around here. There's nobody watching."_

_The ANBU stood up as ordered, taking off his mask and allowing the man to see his face. "The... the band of thieves we were ordered to take care of," the ANBU started, his lips quivering. "We found them." _

_"Great, that's wonderful." _

_"No, you see, my Lord..." the ANBU lowered his head. "One of the thieves... their Leader. It was the late... it was Lady Hitomi. We... it was too late once we found out. She had... she killed three of our men before she was taken down. I'm... I'm so sorry." _

_The raven haired man sighed, running his hand through his hair. _

_"There's nothing we can do now," he said, closing his dark gray eyes. "Lady Hitomi defected from us almost five years ago... she has been dead to me since. You completed your mission, and I will deal with the aftermath." _

_"There's more..." the ANBU said. "Lady Hitomi... she... there's a child." _

* * *

"We're almost there," Tazuna said, snapping Kita out of her thoughts. She was currently sitting on the back of the small row boat, her legs propped up with her arms wrapped around her knees. Sakura was to her right, Sasuke to her left, and Naruto and Kakashi were up front with the lying bridge builder. "We're safe, for now. But we're going to take an inland water route..." Kita zoned out again.

_At least I've proven I can be an adept shinobi,_ she thought, a small smile making its way onto her lips.

"What're you smiling about?"

Kita turned, eyeing the dark haired boy beside her.

"It's pretty here," she replied blunty. "I've never been outside Kohana before. I was just admiring the view."

"Focus on the mission," the boy said smugly, leaning back against the boat. It took everything in her power not to flip him over the side and laugh as he tried to swim back to shore.

"Well, this is as far as I go," the man steering the boat said. "Take care of yourselves."

"Alright. Now, let's see if you kids can get me home in one piece," the old man said. Kakashi only eyed him as they began to walk.

"HEY! WHAT'S THAT OVER THERE?"

All five of them jumped as Naruto sprinted forward, throwing a kunai at a small bush.

"Are you serious?" Kita growled as a small rabit ran out from behind the patch of grass.

"Really, Naruto? Look what you did! You could have hurt it..." Sakura said, pulling herself out from behind Sasuke, who continued to look bored as ever.

"Take cover!" Kakashi yelled, and suddenly everyone was on the ground, heads covered. The blade that had swung over them had made a circle around the clearing, landing back in the hands of it's owner. Kita looked up as the jounin stood, placing his hands in his pockets with a harsh look on his face.

"Zabuza Momichi..."

Naruto charged, but Kakashi had grabbed him by the collar of his shirt before he could even come close. Sakura and Kita stood up, helping Tazuna as well. Sasuke was already up and prepared.

"Don't interfere," Kakashi spoke harshly, letting go of his student. "This one is on a whole other level." He lifted his headband up, revealing a spiraling red eye.

"Kakashi of the sharigan? If it's not too much trouble, could you hand over the old man?"

"Your mission is the same. Potect Mr. Tazuna and stay out of this fight." His full attention was now on the man in front of him. "Shall we?"

"Mr. Tazuna," Kita whispered. "Grab my hand."

The man obliged hesitantly, grabbing the young girl's hand. She closed her eyes, focusing. "I don't... I don't have enough chakra for all of us," she said, placing her free hand in front of her and forming the same seal as before. "Only for him. I hope you understand."

The air around the man began to thicken, and he sighed in relief when she let go.

"It won't last long... we just... we need to hope that your sensei can take care of him."

"Kakashi-sensei is awesome," Naruto replied. "Believe it."

"I'm trying to."

* * *

_The ANBU opened the door slowly, and the young Lord stepped in without a second glance. There was a small bed in the corner, but it was empty. Kenji looked over to the ANBU, who nodded towards the corner of the room._

_Small, gray-green eyes stared up at the man who began walking towards her. He crouched down, now eye level with the dark haired child._

_"What is your name?" He asked softly. _

_"What's it to you?" The little girl snapped, narrowing her eyes at him. "Are you the one who killed them?" _

_The young Lord shook his head. "No, my child. I am not... but I had a small part in it, I will take responsibility for that." _

_"Then why should I tell you my name, huh? Mother always told me not to talk to strangers.. especially," she turned her head towards the ANBU in the corner. "Ninja. You're all evil!" _

_"I assure you, I am not a shinobi," the man said, taking a seat beside her. "I am not here to hurt you. I am here to help." _

_"That's what they all say," she said, burrying her face in her knees. _

_"My Lord..." _

_The man held up his hand to the ANBU, silencing him. _

_ "I am ruler of this place. No one here will harm you, because if they did... they would have to answer to me." _

_The girl looked up slightly._

_"You promise?"_

_"I promise."_

_"My name is Kita. Kita Nama."_

_"What a coincidence, Kita," the man said, placing his hand on her head and messing up her hair. "My last name is Nama, too." _

* * *

"The demon Zabuza..."

"It would seem my reputation precedes me."

Kakashi nodded. Everyone was focused on the two, questioning.

"Long ago, in the Village of the Hidden Mist... the final test to becoming a ninja... it would strip away your humanity."

"So you've heard of our graduation tradition?"

"What graduation tradition?" Naruto asked.

"They... they would kill everyone. Their friends and comrades... pitted against each other. It was a giant blood bath," Kita spoke, her hand still placed in a firm seal.

"Ten years ago," Kakashi continued "The elders of the hidden mist were forced to enact a reform on their ritual... because the previous year, without a moments hesitation... a boy who hadn't yet qualified as a ninja butchered over a hundred students of that year's graduating class."

Zabuza smirked at this. "I used to have such fun."

Kita could only watch as the scene unfolded in front of her. If she moved, the barrier around Tazuna would be lost. She was useless in this fight; there was no way of stopping it. She watched as Naruto and Sasuke teamed up, as Kakashi did his best to protect his students but in the end it wasn't enough.

They were all saved, however, by a hunter nin who had shot Zabuza down without even having to reveal himself.

Kita sighed, releasing the jutsu and falling to her knees. Sakura ran over to her, grabbing her shoulders as the world spun around her.

"I am a member of one of the track units from the mist. It is our duty to hunt and eliminate rouge ninjas."

"How is that possible!? You took him down like it was nothing! Do we suck or something?" Naruto yelled, clenching his fist. Kakashi sighed, looking over towards the two kunoichi and Tazuna.

"I can see how it's hard to accept, Naruto. But it's a fact you'll have to live with," he replied, placing his hand on top of the boy's head. "There are people out there who are both younger than you, yet stronger than me."

Both Naruto and Sasuke's eyes narrowed at this.

Kakashi once again focused his attention over to the two girls.

"Is she okay, Sakura?"

Sakura nodded. "Yes, Kakashi-sensei. She's just winded," Sakura looke down at the raven haired girl. "Right, Kita?"

Kita nodded. "Yes, I'm fine," she called, waving her hand.

"Good job, Kita," Kakashi called. "I'm sure the Hokage will see to it that you become an excellent kunoichi."

"Now," Kakashi continued as the hunter nin disappeared. "We still have to escort Mr. Tazuna the rest of the way home. Are you guys ready?"

"Ha!" The bridge builder called. "You kids must be humiliated. But never mind, you can fix yourselves at my house."

Before any one could even respond, the silver haired jounin dropped to the ground.

* * *

"So, what's your story?"

The raven haired girl turned and stared at the blonde boy behind her. Both were standing on the porch of the bridge builders house, looking over the railing at the small town below them.

"Excuse me?"

"I remember you from the academy, when we were waiting for Kakashi-sensei to show up. You were running from ANBU, and he kept calling you _Lady_," Naruto responded. Kita only nodded.

"I was running from a man named Shiro," she responded lightly. "He's... he's kind of like my protector, you could say. I was mad at him."

"Really? What'd he do? Take away your favorite food, or something? I know Iruka-sensei tries to take away ramen from me when I start pulling pranks, but it never really works out in the end. I'm more of a hassle when I don't have ramen." He laughed at this, causing the small girl to blush.

"Kind of," she responded with a smile. "Anyway, wheres everyone?"

"I think Sakura is looking after Kakashi-sensei... and Sasuke, I don't know where that jerk went. HEY! Where did you learn that cool barrier jutsu, by the way? It was awesome!"

"My dad taught it to me," she said. "What about you? Those shadow clones are amazing!"

"Heheheh," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "That... I learned on my own."

"That's... great, Naruto," she said, causing the boy to blush. He wasn't used to compliments. "What made you wanna be a ninja, anyway?"

"I... I'm going to be Hokage someday," he said, suddenly serious. "That way everyone that ever doubted me... they'll have to look up to me, have to respect me. I'll be the one they turn to for help, and I won't turn them down the way they turned me down. Everyone doubts me, but I'll show them. Someday..."

"...you'll be Hokage," she said. "I'm sure of it."

"What about you, huh? Isn't this mission supposed to test your ninja ability, or something?"

"Yeah, it is," she replied. "But that's besides the point. Let's go see how Kakashi's doing, shall we?"

* * *

_"No , listen. I need you to focus all your chakra on your hands, can you do that?" _

_The girl nodded, a big grin on her face. _

_"Once you feel it center on your palm, you make this seal," he continued, placing only one hand in front of his chest and shaping it. "Now, wait until you feel the air around you. Once you figure out which direction its moving, you can stop it. Once it stops, just imagine the humidity around you... and focus your chakra into the air. The air around you will grow thick, and once you find something that you want to protect, focus the air around it. Your chakra will turn the air into a solid, and it will protect it as long as you hold this seal. Do you got it?"_

_The young girl nodded. "Yes, I do!" _

_The girl smiled, placing her hand in front of her chest and closing her eyes. Kenji watched as the air began to thicken, and slowly formed a small barrier around him. _

_"Perfect, Kita! But... why are you placing me inside this?"_

_"Because, you're my special person," she smiled. "You're the only thing I want to protect." _

* * *

"So... what I'm wondering, is why you're having those three train... but leaving the other girl out of it?"

Kakashi glanced over at Tazuna, who was standing with his arms crossed.

"Kita is not apart of this team," Kakashi said, closing his eyes. "She will not be fighting Zabuza."

"I don't know what you saw," Tazuna continued. "But that girl holds more power in her right hand than those three ninja do in their entire bodies. She managed to protect me without - "

"That's what she did, Mr. Tazuna," Kakashi snapped. "Protect you. She did not fight, and she will not fight, do you understand?"

The bridge builder sighed.

"I'm not an idiot, Kakashi. I've dealt with Gato and his men long enough to know when there's an underlying factor in a contract. You may be able to fool them, " he pointed towards the three ninja attempting to walk up the trees in front of his house. "But you can't fool me. I don't know what you plan on doing with that girl but... she saved my life, and I owe her a debt."

"No, Tazuna," Kakashi replied, his voice harsher this time. "You owe Kohana a debt. You deliberately lied to the Hokage because you could not pay to have ANBU escort you back home. You placed my students and Lord Kenji's daughter as risk, do you understand?'

"Lord... Kenji?" The man narrowed his eyes. "I see."

"It is not what will happen to Kita, Tazuna," Kakashi replied. "It is what will happen to you if anyone finds out about this."

"Lord Kenji died years ago... there's nothing he could do to me from the grave."

"No, there's not," Kakashi replied, turning to face the man head on. "But many other Lord's respected him, and have vowed vengeance on his death. Do you believe they would not turn on you, knowing that his only daughter, and the last surviving member of the Nama clan, was almost killed because of your arrogance?"

"Well," both men turned around, their eyes wide at the raven haired girl that was leaning against the pillar behind them. "That settles it then."

"Kita..." Kakashi began, but the girl only held up a single finger and shook her head.

"Don't," she said. "No wonder my father never had anything nice to say about the Leaf Village... you're all a bunch of scum."

And then she ran.


	3. Switching Sides

**Chapter Three: Switching Sides**

* * *

The forest around her was blinding, but she continued to run anyway. She didn't know where she was going, she just needed to get as far away from Kakashi and Team 7 as fast as possible.

Every time she closed her eyes she was back underneath the floor boards, hiding as everyone around her were fighting for their lives. She had just been waiting for someone to come and decide her fate. But now, she was done hiding, and she was done waiting. As much as she wanted to stay in Kohana, no matter what her threats had been, she wouldn't dare think of the place anymore.

"Well. What do we have here?"

Kita stopped.

"Oh, it's you," she said, a wave of relief rushing over her as she spotted the masked boy in the trees. "The hunter nin from the Mist."

The boy nodded. "What are you doing here all alone?"

"My team," she said, staring down at the ground. "I mean... my village. They all betrayed me."

"Where do you plan to go?"

"I have no idea..." she responded. "I haven't thought that far ahead. I just..." she gulped. "I had to leave."

The hunter nin nodded.

"Well, if you want. You can come with me."

* * *

_Kita stood behind the long red robes that draped over her father's legs, watching as the old man limped up to the steps of the building. She noticed firsthand that there was something off about him; he walked with a limp, and he was bandaged from head to toe, yet everyone that accompanied him seemed deathly afraid of him. How was it that someone so crippled and lost looking could instill such fear into the hearts of what was supposed to be the most powerful force in the Fire Country?_

_"Danzo," Lord Kenji greeted as the man approached him. "What do I owe this pleasure?"_

_"My Lord," the man said, bowing slightly. It was as the man was rising back up that he caught sight of the small girl hiding behind the man's leg, her arms gripped tightly around his knees. She looked no older than four years old, with short black hair and oddly colored eyes. She wore a bright red dress, with a small black shall hanging over her shoulders and a golden head band wrapping around her forehead. Danzo smiled. "This must be the infamous Lady Kita that the Village elders have been raging about. To think... there was an heir to this country all along."_

_"You don't sound very excited," the young Lord grumbled, causing Danzo to stir a bit before casually shrugging._

_"Very well. I'm here to make a proposition for you," the man said. "May I come in?"_

_The raven haired man bent down so that he was eye level with his daughter. "Kita, why don't you go play with Tsukagi in the garden? I'm sure she would love to spend time with you."_

_The young girl glanced to from the old man to her father before giving a slight nod and walking down the stairs. Danzo's ANBU moved quickly out of the way as the young girl walked past them, her long, black shall flowing behind her._

* * *

Kita's eyes widened at the sight of the man before her. Zabuza was alive and well, and he was currently leaning against a tree by the river the hunter nin had brought her too.

"You..." she turned towards the masked ninja. "You set me up."

The boy chuckled, shaking his head and removing his mask. His face was soft, nothing like the cold blooded killer she expected to be hiding underneath it.

"You said you're friends betrayed you. I offered for you to come with me. I didn't lie."

"He's the enemy!" She shrieked, pointing towards the man beside the tree who had only just begun to pay attention to the scene that was unfolding. Zabuza laughed.

"It's useless, kid. They have her brain washed."

"You admitted it yourself! You killed all those people!" She was shaking now, clenching her fists tightly against her sides.

"Yeah, I did," the man spoke, standing up. Kita hadn't realized how tall he was; she barely reached his shoulders. "But have you ever stopped and wondered how many people your leaders have killed?"

The girl turned her head stubbornly away.

"Come on, little girl. Haku didn't bring you here to use you as a bargaining chip. He's not that type of guy," the man laughed, turning to his young friend. "But... he has yet to tell me why exactly he brought you here."

"She can protect you," the boy responded. "In the ways I can not. We need a good defense, especially if you are fighting against Kakashi."

Zabuza nodded, cocking his head towards the younger girl. "Well, what do you say kid?"

"I... I can't harm them," she responded. "They may have betrayed me but..."

"Don't think of it as betraying them," the hunter responded. "Think of it as protecting someone important. Have you ever had a precious person?"

Grey eyes, raven hair, and that perfect smile flashed through her mind. Glimpes of red, black, and gold silk; a warm fire place, a nice bed. Roses aligned throughout a castle.

"I did."

"And would you do anything to protect that person?"

Kita nodded.

"Well, Zabuza is my precious person. And if you want, he can be yours, too."

* * *

_"Hey, Tsukagi..."_

_The older woman looked from her spot on the ground over to the young girl beside her. Kita was currently sitting with her legs crossed on one of the main cement paths that had been structured around the garden. Usually, the young girl would visit her in the afternoons once her father had been called away to his endless meetings. The girl and the gardener would walk around the land, feed the fish in the pond located in the backyard, and sometimes they would leave altogether to go try some of the foods in the nearby villages. Tsukagi didn't know why the young Lord trusted her so much as to put his daughter in her care, but she dare not question it._

_"What is it, my Lady?" the woman asked, pulling up a few weeds from the ground. It was barely 9am, which worried her; Lord Kenji had made it very clear that his mornings were to be spent with the young Lady, as to make up for lost time._

_In the council's eyes, it was absurd; but to Tsukagi, it was completely understandable. The woman couldn't imagine finding out that she had a child, and had missed out on the first five years of that child's life; she knew the young man must have felt awful, especially after the raid on the group of traveling shinobi. He had backhandedly killed his own wife... and his daughter's mother in an attempt to stop the Leaf Village from waging war on regular citizens who could do nothing to fight back._

_"Who was that man... the one with the bandages?" the girl asked, leaning back and using her hands as support. "I mean, he's kind of weird looking. He doesn't seem like a nice guy."_

_"He's an elder from the Hidden Village," the woman replied. "Kohana, I believe."_

_"What?" the girl said, standing up suddenly with her eyes full of excitement. "You mean the shinobi villages? He's a ninja!?"_

_"Lady Kita..."_

_"I want to talk to him, Tsukagi!" the girl said, spinning around. "I want to know how to be a ninja!"_

_"Lady Kita, now why would you want to do that?" Tsukagi asked, wiping the dirt onto her apron and staring at the girl. "Your father would never allow that."_

_"He might!" the girl grinned. "I mean, look what he taught me!"_

_The lady watched as the girl stopped spinning and closed her eyes. She placed one of her hands in a seal in front of her, an excited grin creeping onto her face as the air around them became thicker. Tsukagi stared with wide eyes as a small barrier formed around her._

_"Lady Kita..."_

_"See?" The little girl squealed, throwing her hands up into the air and breaking the barrier around her._

_The woman shook her head. "Lord Kenji, what are you thinking..."_

* * *

"They're coming!"

The area around the four ninja and the old bridge builder began to fog up, the mist around them soon becoming too thick to see through. Quickly the three shinobi jumped into position around the bridge builder, their arms up and legs out in fighting stance. Kakashi made a single hand sign and closed his eyes in concentration.

"It's been a while, Kakashi," a voice said, cutting through the mist that surrounded them. "And I see that you still have those kids tagging along. And look at that, that boy's trembling."

There was a small flash of movement, and the five were surrounded by clones.

"I'm shaking... with excitement," the raven haired ninja smirked, not moving from position until Kakashi gave the go ahead. It took the boy less than a single movement to turn all the clones around them into water.

"Looks like you've got competetion, Haku," the man said as the mist began to clear up around them. The young boy stepped out into the clearing.

"It appears so."

Kita looked down at the scene below her. She was currently perched up on the highest branches of the tree directly across from the seven; Haku had told her that the only thing she needed to do was protect Zabuza. She didn't have to fight, didn't have to harm the Kohana shinobi, and didn't have to get involved with the pair any further if she didn't want to. Haku had promised her refuge; if she protected Zabuza, he would help her find a destination, and he would bring her to it. If she wanted to stay, they would allow her to as long as she did not become a nuisance. To her, it seemed like a win/win, except for the fact that by the end of the battle someone would die. And she didn't know who she hoped it would rather be.

"Impressive kid," Haku mused, still staring at the raven haired avenger. "Even if the water clones were only one tenth of the original, it was still impressive."

Haku vanished just as Sasuke sprung to attack.

"I don't want to kill you, but you won't leave quietly, will you?" Haku asked as Sasuke's kunai collided with his senbon.

"Don't be stupid."

"I just thought that you wouldn't be able to match my speed for long, and besides... I've already laid the groundwork for two attacks."

"Two attacks?"

"First, there's the water splashed all around us. And second, I've trapped one of your hands, which leaves you only one hand to protect you from me." Haku began moving his free hand. "Secret art: the thousand stinging needles of death!"

"SASUKE!" Sakura cried out as the water around her teammate rose, freezing the boy in place. Kita watched as Naruto managed to get him out, a most determined look on his face.

I'm going to be Hokage... his word's echoed through her head. Believe it.

It was at the end of this thought that her eyes widened. The air had suddenly turned cold and the water around Sasuke had begun to rise.

"Let's not forget, I'm your opponent. Our children can play together... I mean, while my boy kills yours," he smirked. Kakashi leaned forward, about to head towards his students aid, but Zabuza stood in his way.

"SASUKE!" Sakura screamed, tears welling up in her eyes.

Kakashi moved forward, a fist of lighting aimed for Zabuza's chest.

It took all he had to keep from gasping.

His fist was supposed to go straight through Zabuza's body, but instead it had been blocked by a barrier of air. Zabuza just stood, grinning at the silver haired man.

"So..." Kakashi said, narrowing his eyes. "It appears there's another."

Zabuza continued to grin, pointed teeth flashing across his face. Sakura stood, clenching her fists. "Did... she couldn't have joined them!"

Kakashi glanced up towards the trees. He saw a flicker of black hair blowing in the wind from up in the branches. Kita crouched, her hand in a single seal with her eyes fully closed.H

"Is that all you got!?" Kakashi called. She didn't bother answering.

"Come on Kakashi," Zabuza drew his sword. "How about you show me what _you_ got?"


	4. Defect

**Chapter Four: Defect**

* * *

_"But, mooooom," the girl wined, turning her attention to the man beside her mother. "We need to go now."_

_"In a minute," the woman responded, tearing her dress away from the child._

_"I'm right, you know," the girl said, turning her back towards her mother and sitting down with her arms crossed. "That man is evil."_

_The man beside her mother cocked his head to the side. "Aw, Lady Kita, why would you say that?" He asked, squatting down to look at her. "I'm just trying to help, is all."_

_The girl stuck out her tongue in response._

_"Kita!" Her mother said, pulling her daughter up by the arm. "You will show him some respect."_

_"Why should I show him respect, huh?" The girl asked, tearing herself away from the silver haired woman. "He won't even show you his face."_

_"Do you want to see my face?" The man asked, now eye level with her. "Will that make you trust me?"_

_"You're a ninja," she responded. "Why should I give you the chance?"_

_"Kita, Tobi is not a - "_

_The orange masked man before them began to cackle, his malicious intent echoing throughout the room._

_"Well," he said, his voice suddenly changing. "At least your daughter isn't as much of an idiot as you are."_

_The woman's green eyes widened._

_"Kita, run."_

_"Come on, Lady Hitomi. Are you really that surprised?"_

* * *

"Sasuke! Naruto!" Sakura called from her place in front of the old bridge builder. "Don't you dare lose to a guy like that!"

"Don't encourage them, Sakura! Even if we knew a way to counter his technique... Sasuke and Naruto won't be able to defeat him."

"What..." Sakura gaped, staring at her sensei in awe. "What do you mean?"

Had he really given up on them so soon?

"Neither of them have developed the psychological strength it takes to turn their hearts to ice and take a human life..." Kakashi replied, his posture still firm in case of an attack from the S-class shinobi in front of him. "That boy... he has lived with the emotional anguish it takes to become a true shinobi."

"No true shinobi can be born from your village," Zabuza responded. "You don't live with death, or grow up needing to ensure your own survival."

"What... what do we do?" Sakura asked.

"You'll forgive me if I put an end to this," Kakashi said, placing a hand on his headband.

But not before sending a kunai straight into the trees, where the young princess resided.

* * *

Kita moved just in time for the weapon to miss her, but she lost her balance. She closed her eyes, waiting to hit the ground with a loud thud, but instead she was greeted by the embrace of the swordsman. Zabuza landed on the ground and set the girl down.

"Alright, little girl," he said, the malicious smirk once again making it's way onto his lips. "You ready for this?"

Kita glanced at Kakashi, who had fully removed his headband and was currently supporting his sharigan eye. She narrowed her eyes, remembering what he had told Tazuna.

She will never be a shinobi...

"You'll regret giving up on me," she said, turning her back towards him and facing Zabuza completely. "I will be a shinobi, with Kohana's permission or not. I will fight for my right to protect those I care about!"

Zabuza began to laugh, his loud cackle echoing through the forest. Kita closed her eyes and squatted down, placing her hand in a seal. Kakashi stared as the barrier began to form around Zabuza.

"You say you want to be a shinobi to protect those you care about..." Kakashi said. "But who is that, exactly? It's obviously not your village... and it's obviously not the Hokage. So who do you want to protect, Kita? Tell me who you have left."

"Zabuza," the girl said, a small sob making it's way to her throat as a tear fell down her face. "You have fifteen minutes to end this before my chakra is completely depleted. You'll keep your deal, right?"

"Of course, little girl," the man said, charging at Kakashi. "I don't go back on my word."

* * *

"So, how do I know you won't betray me?"

"Because, if I wanted to, I could kill you where you stand," Zabuza replied.

Haku sighed, placing his hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Come on, Kita. Let's take a walk."

"When I was a child," Haku spoke as the two walked down the river. "I lived in a small village in the Land of Water with my mother and father. People like you and me, we weren't welcome in the village. The people had suffered through wars, dealing with shinobi with special talents called kekki genki. Because of the traumatic events that happened during this war, and the villagers reaction to it, my mother hid her powers from my father.

One day, as a little boy, I learned I could manipulate water. I showed my mother out of pure excitement, and she slapped me. She told me that I could never do something so horrendous again, and that I must keep this ability secret for all of my life. However, we were both unaware that my father had seen this display. In a moment of rage, my father killed my mother and sent a mob of villagers after me. I couldn't control myself, and I ended up killing my father and the rest of the villagers."

Kita nodded in understanding, wrapping her arms around herself as the wind around them picked up. _What_ _does_ _he_ _mean_... _people like us? I'm not like him,_ she thought, closing her eyes. _I don't have a kekki genki. There's nothing special about me._

"I was orphaned, rummaging through trash cans for food and fighting the wild animals on the street when they would become too restless. One day, Zabuza confronted me, and I realized that we had something in common..."

"What was that?" She asked.

"Something he shares with both of us," Haku said, with a small smile. Kita couldn't help but think he was much too pretty to be a killer. "He has our eyes."

_Our... eyes_?

"I'm not understanding," she said. He only nodded and continued his story.

"Eventually, Zabuza asked me to become his weapon... and I realized, I had a purpose. Zabuza not only accepted me for the things people hated about me, but he gave me a purpose... a reason to live. And pretty soon, he become my person... the only person I could count on."

"But..." Kita said. "You're his weapon, his tool. I'm... I'm not even a shinobi."

"Zabuza sees the same things in you as he saw in me," Haku said. "He sees the loneliness, the need for a purpose, and he knows he can use you for that."

"I don't want to be a tool," she said. "I don't want to be used."

"Don't you see?" Haku said, and they stopped walking altogether. "You have no choice in the matter. Your decision... is based on whose tool you want to be. I mean, at the end of the day, that's what a shinobi is."

Kita shook her head. "It can't be..."

"Whats your goal?" Haku said.

"To protect those - "

"No," Haku cut her off. "Whats your goal?"

"I told you -" but he cut her off again. The girl sighed, running one of her hands through her messy raven hair.

"My mother," she began. "She was... beautiful, and kind...

But she was so full of hate. She hated the shinobi world, hated the wars, hated the fighting. She hated the country she had been born into, and evnetually she began to hate the man she had married.

One day, she packed up all her bags and ran far away, taking only herself and the baby she was carrying with her. She searched the lands for people like her, people who had been wronged by the wars and the people who willingly fought them, and eventually she found a family within her hatred. After one of her family members were killed by wandering shinobi, she vowed vengeance on the world. She devised a plan to destroy the shinobi villages, and anyone who got in the way."

Haku nodded, listening as the girl continued to tell her story.

"She met a man who promised to help her. Eventually, she fell in love with him. On the day before her plan was to take action, the man killed her, and everyone else associated with her. He... he didn't even seem phased by it...killing a woman he claimed to love.

When the ANBU captain arrived, I was the only one left alive. Once they realized that they had been apart of the murder of the Lord's wife, they pieced together that I must have been his daughter. They brought me to him, and he..." she was crying now, the tears falling from her eyes in a rapid motion.

"I wanted to hate him, so badly. But he was such a great father. He was... my best friend... my protector. We spent every day together... and then, and then the same man killed him. I saw him murder my father before my own eyes and I couldn't do a thing about it.

My father was my precious person. He... He's the only one I wanted to protect... I may be young, but I'm not foolish enough to think I won't have anymore precious people. I will. I'll have friends and maybe someday a family of my own... but I won't be able to have them for long if this man is still alive. So," she clenched her fists, looking up to the sky. "I will go against both my mother's and my father's wishes, and I will become a shinobi. And when I do, I will take down the man that took my precious people from me."

"Kita," Haku spoke after a few moments of silence. "I am trusting in my abilities. I am formidable ninja. But at the end of the day, Kakashi is just as strong if not stronger than Zabuza. I will be tasked with dealing with the three shinobi in his group, therefore I will not be able to protect him if something dire comes up. I need you, I need you to help him. If you do this, I promise I will help you. I will make sure we take you wherever it is you need to go and that you arrive safely."

He held out his hand. "I understand you may not be able to trust Zabuza," the boy smiled. "But by now, you must be able to trust me."

* * *

"Move!" Zabuza yelled, but it was too late. Kakashi's shuriken had hit Kita's right hand and broken the seal. She didn't even wince before ripping the weapon out of her hand and preparing to form another, but it was too late. Haku had blocked Kakashi's hit, the boy dying right before her eyes.

"NO!" She yelled, standing up and running towards Kakashi. "You didn't!"

Zabuza stuck his arm out, stopping her.

"That was brilliant, Haku," the man laughed.

_He's already dead..._ Kakashi thought. A_nd he's..._ he narrowed his eyes. _He's going to cut right through him to get to me!_

"I really did find a treasure in that gutter, to think he would grant me this marvelous chance in the end..."

Kita couldn't control herself as the tears began to fall around her. She moved her hand to the middle of her chest, prepared to use the last of her chakra to protect him, but Zabuza reached out his hand and grabbed hers.

"Don't," he said, grinning from behind his bandages.

"Haku died protecting you!" She yelled. "So... so I need to finish my end of the deal. I promised him."

"I'm sure he'll get over it," he replied.

Zabuza only continued to grin as Kakashi attacked, lodging the elongated weapons within the man's back.

"I hope you can forgive me," the silver haired man said, closing his eyes. Kita stared at him, tears falling from her eyes, shaking her head.

"I..." she stood up. "I can't."

"Little girl..." Zabuza said through strained breaths. "Haku would have wanted you to... to be free."

She got up to run, but Kakashi quickly grabbed her by the shoulder and threw her down to the ground.

"Don't move," he said, staring her directly in the eyes. "Do you understand what you've done? You've betrayed Kohana, betrayed your comrades - "

Kita said nothing, only continued to stare at him. Kakashi eventually brought Zabuza over to Haku to die peacefully.

As the villagers swarmed, Kita took her chance to run. When Kakashi turned, all he saw was a single, red shall laying on the ground where she was once. The man walked over, picking it up. It was made of silk and laced with gold, with a single ruby stitched into the center.

_What could have happened to you..._ he thought, turning back towards his team. _To make you so eager to give up on your Village._

* * *

Sarutobi sighed, staring down at the reports below him.

Kita Nama had defected from Kohana.

She had fought against Kohana shinobi alongside two S-class criminals.

"Well, it appears you've won..." the man sighed, placing her picture in the black book he held in his hand. "You're finally a shinobi."

**Missing Nin**

**Name:** Kita Nama

**Age:** 13

**Rank:** N/A

**Team:** None

**Element:** Wind

**Last Seen:** Land of Waves

* * *

After the mission report had been filed, and Sasuke and Naruto had been checked by the hospital, Kakashi brought his students to their regular training ground. He sat on one of the wooden posts with his leg propped up and his arm resting over his knee.

He told them a story of the rulers of the fire country. Lord Kenji had been brought into position after his father had died of old age. Kenji was young when he came into office, only being twenty seven years old, and was often looked down on by his people because of this. However, during the wars he proved to be a fierce and powerful leader, and while the Village of Kohana fought for their country, Lord Kenji fought for his people.

Lady Hitomi and Lord Kenji had been married since before he was inducted. It was said that their love was promising; that, with the two of them in power, the Fire Country would know no hardship. After the war, however, and the Kyuubi's attack on Kohana, Lady Hitomi vanished. Lord Kenji searched for her for almost a year before the politics of his country pulled him back to office.

Five years later, rumors had spread that there was an heir; Lady Hitomi had passed, and a girl had been brought to him, claiming to be his daughter. Lord Kenji accepted his role as a father with more passion than he had for anything else.

Eventually, as fate would have it, Lord Kenji had passed. His final wish was that his daughter would be protected until she was old enough to take the throne. He had made a deal with the Leaf Village, that as long as his daughter was protected, the council of the Fire Country would protect and support the shinobi village through any task.

His daughter, however, did not want to be protected. She wanted to be a shinobi, under what conditions, Kakashi wasn't sure. In order to protect her, the Hokage ordered Kakashi to take her to a safe place. She was to be put under care of the Kazekage until unknown political matters were solved. Knowing that the girl would not go easy, he lied to her, convinced her that she would be getting her way.

But in the end, the plan had failed. And Kita Nama, the princess of the fire country, had defected from Kohana, betraying the fire country as she did so.

"She had three years to wait," Sakura gaped. "And she would have had everything. She would have been... she would have been the leader of the Fire Country..." her eyes widened. "She would have basically been a queen. How could she give all of that up?"

Kakashi looked down at his young student.

"Some people aren't satisfied by power," the man replied. "Some people search for a purpose greater than those even we know."


	5. The Chuunin Exams

**Thank you for all those that review. I really appreciate the feedback.**

**Please continue to review and read! If I need to make any improvements I will take any criticism you have for me.**

* * *

**Chapter Five: The Chuunin Exams**

* * *

The wind around her was swirling in multiple directions. Dark, raven hair whipped across a pale complexion; normally grey-green eyes were strained shut. Two hands were placed in front of a cloak chest, one above the other.

In a single motion, the wind stopped. The girl's dark hair fell around her shoulders, her eyes snapping open just as two kunai whipped towards her head. In a single motion, the girl flung her arms to the side, directing the wind forward and spinning the kunai back toward's their original owner.

A wall of sand built up around the boy who had thrown them at her. She watched as the wall fell down slowly, grain by grain, revealing cold green eyes wrapped in a sea of black.

"You're ready," the boy said, turning away from her. "We leave at dawn."

* * *

_Lord Kenji looked down at the contract in front of him, a strained look creeping through the pores of his face. He sighed, placing the bend down on the table and standing up, knocking the chair over as he did so. He didn't bother picking it up as he stormed out of the room._

_He walked down the corridors until he reached the last door on the right. It was cracked open, a small breeze coming through the space that seperated him from his daughter. He peaked in, smiling at the little girl who was currently sitting on the floor with a doll in her hands._

_"Daddy?" She asked, turning towards him. Kenji was astounded by her abilities already; only five years old and she had already mastered the protection jutsu that had taken him years to create, and without even realizing she was doing so she could already sense people so easily. It put his mind at ease knowing that if anything ever happened to him - more precisely, when something happened to him - she would be able to take care of herself._

_He opened the door all the way, stepping into the red and gold painted room. Taking a seat on the ground next to her, he grabbed the nearest doll from her collection and they began what would be one of the last and best nights of his life._

* * *

A small group of jounin stood before the Hokage, all impatiently waiting to call out their student's names and properly enter them in the chuunin exams. They started with Kakashi, then to Kurenai, Asuma... interupted by Iruka and then continuing on from there.

"I have in front of me the folders of each and every chuunin contestant entering from the foreign lands," Sarutobi said, motioning his hand towards the stack of folders. "I have gone through each and every one of these, just to be prepared. Kohana will be vulnerable, and in this vulnerable state I expect each and every one of you to be completely on guard."

The jounin nodded, making their vows.

"There's one more thing before you go," the Hokage continued, picking up the highest manilla folder on the stack and setting it in the middle of his desk. "About two months ago Lord Kenji's daughter defected from Kohana, and made her way into our bingo books in the process. However, she no longer has the title of a missing shinobi. She will be participating the Chuunin exams this year, repesenting the Village of the Sand. Please go over ths and memorize her every action. She may be a minor threat to Kohana, but any ninja who renounces their loyalty is not to be trusted."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," they said in union, each taking turns passing the folder around. Sarutobi sighed, placing his head on his hands and closing his eyes.

* * *

"Are you really going to lose control over something as simple as a child. Have you forgotten why we cam here?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at boy in front of him, before averting his eyes to the other three ninja he was accompanied by. A blonde girl with four pony tails sticking out from the back of her head, with a giant fan strapped to her back. A boy with face paint a purple monkey suit. The cold blooded red head in front of him and the cloaked shinobi to his side.

"But Gaara," the painted boy said. "They started it."

"Shut up," the boy named Gaara said, his voice harsh and exact. "Or I'll kill you."

"You're right," the boy said, sticking up his hands. "I was out of line."

"We're sorry, okay?" The blonde girl apologized, her eyes practically bleeding with fear.

Gaara turned to Sasuke, his eyes still cold. "I apologize for my companions. I know we're early, but we didn't come here to cause trouble."

"It won't happen again," the older shinobi apologized again,

"Let's go," the red head said, turning around. Sasuke watched as the cloaked shinobi standing directly next to him almost seemed to fall in step with him, as if they had been prepared to leave with or without the other three members of their group.

"Wait," his pink haired comrade stepped forward. "According to your forehead protectors, you all come from the Village Hidden in the Sand. Our treaty states that you are not to be in the village without justifiable reason. As shinobi of Kohana, it is our duty to know why you are here."

The blonde girl sighed, an irritated look in her eyes as she presented the papers to the weirdly colored girl in front of her.

"Were you not informed? We're here to take the Chuunin exams."

"Chuunin exams?" Naruto questioned, a confused look in his eyes. "What are those?"

Gaara sighed, turning back around only to be stopped once more.

"Hey! What's your name?" Sasuke asked, dropping to the ground.

"Who, me?" the blonde girl asked, blushing.

"No. The creep next to you."

"Gaara of the Desert," the boy responded, his arms crossed. "And you?"

"Sasuke Uchiha."

"Hey!" the blonde whiskered boy interupted. "Don't you want to know my name?"

"No," Gaara responded, motioning towards his teammates. "Let's go."

"What about you?" Sasuke asked, now direction is attention towards the small cloaked figured who had yet to speak a single word.

The figure grabbed the hood of it's cloak, dropping it down slowly. Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura's eyes widened in shock at the girl standing before them. She said nothing, only turning her back and continuing down the road with the three Suna ninjas.

* * *

"What are you doing here?"

Kita looked up from her spot on the swing into the void eyes of a monkey mask. She had pulled the hood of her cloak down, finding no reason to hide herself durring the late hours of the night. What did she tell him? What could she say to make it any easier on him? He already knew, of course, seeing the hour glass engraving on the forehead protector wrapped around her forehead.

"What do you want, Shiro?" She asked.

"I want to know why I was the last one informed of your treason," the man responded. "I want to know why it was Kakashi who told me and not you."

"What was I supposed to do, huh?" She asked. "The Hokage was going to trade me to Suna anyway. This way we both win. I'm under the Kazekage's protection, and I get to become a shinobi."

"That's not how it's supposed to be, Kita. And you know that. What would your father think?"

It was then the girl stood up, her fists clenched as she stared at the man's hollow mask.

"My father is dead," she called. "He can't think, can't feel. He can't have an opinion on how to live my life. And don't you dare talk to me as if you knew him!"

Shiro sighed, before taking a seat on the grass, his legs spread out in front of him. Kita eventually let down her guard, taking her seat back on the swing outside the academy. The two sat in comfortable silence as the moon hung over their heads, as if it was watching their every move.

* * *

_"Get away from him!" the young girl yelled, running towards the masked man. The orange faced shinobi laughed, picking the girl up by the collar of her shirt. The young lord stood up, stumbling, but charged at him with great speed._

_"Put her down!" He commanded, kicking his foot up and aiming for the man's abdomen. In an instant the masked man had made it to the other end of the room, the young girl still in his arms._

_"My Lord, please," he said, his voice loud and childish. "I just want to have a talk with her. Have you never taught her manners? It's rude to interrupt adults."_

_She started thrashing her feet, trying her best to hit the main but failing miserably. She watched as the man used his other hand to lift up his mask, his eyes meeting hers._

_The only thing she remembered was red. Seventy two hours passed before she awoke, accompanied by a single, monkey masked ANBU sitting at her hospital bed side._

* * *

Sasuke noticed her as soon as she walked in. The girl had given up her cloak, donning simple black shorts and a matching shirt thrown over long sleeved fishnets. Her bare thighs were wrapped with bandages, her hands with gloves, and her medium length raven hair had been pulled up in a high ponytail. The hour glass on her forehead seemed to sparkle under the light, making itself known that she was no longer a citizen of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Instead, the Lady of the Fire Country - the only heir left, had given up everything.

The written exam passed after an entire hour of stress and cheating. The mass of students that were left afterwards followed the purple haired kunoichi to the forest of death, in which Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, and Kita all made it back to the towers in record time.

She watched with horror as the green shinobi managed to knock her teammate down in ways no one else could. She was up directly afterwards, facing a gray haired man named Kabuto. Halfway through the match, the man had given up, deciding that keeping his title as a genin was far more important than losing against her. Kakashi watched as she disappeared directly afterwards, not bothering to speak a word to any of the Kohana shinobi she had been surrounded by for the past week.

The raven haired girl arrived at the hospital just as Gaara was waking up. She pulled up a seat next to him, crossing her legs and waiting for him to speak. Did he want to leave, did he want to stay, did he want _her _to stay? But he said nothing, simply waited for the nurses to come in and announce his release a few hours later.   


Kita filled out his paperwork, and the two walked down the streets of Kohana down to the small hotel complex the neighboring shinobi were requested to stay at as the month before the final exam progressed. He was always a few steps ahead of her, never bothering to look back to make sure she was following suit. Temari greeted her just as the red haired ninja slammed the door to his room, not bothering to say good bye.

"He'll be fine," Kita said, leaning against the railing of the balcony that was connected to their small room. "His healing is incredible. The medical ninja here barely got a chance to assess him before he healed."

"Sounds about right," Temari responded. "Hey, can I ask you a question?"

"Go for it."

"You're not afraid of him," the blonde spoke. "Even when you first arrived in the village, you knew what he was. You never even flinched, not even when he threatened your life. How...?"

Kita sighed, running her hand through her hair and taking out the hair tie that was holding it back. She flung the hair tie like a sling shot off of the balcony, watching as it fell to the ground.

"I may be young, but I've met a lot of shinobi, a lot of them much scarier than Gaara could ever hope to be. Your brother is a cold blooded killer. He's cruel and unusual, and it's almost disturbing how high he gets off of the sight of someone else's blood. But..." she paused, trying to re-assess her train of thought. "Monsters aren't born, they're created. And it doesn't happen over night. It takes time, and pain, and a lot of hatred to create one. But that doesn't mean that they're not fixable. You can create goodness, just like you can create evil."

"There's no chance for him, you've seen first hand."

"Temari, if there wasn't a chance, you and Kankuro would already be dead."

The blonde nodded, waiting for her to continue. It took her a moment, but eventually the young princess did.

"Gaara's hatred reminds me of my mother," she said. "He's almost an exact replica of her, to be honest."

"Did she change?"

Kita shook her head. "No. She died before she got the chance."


	6. Intermission

**Chapter Six: Intermission**

* * *

Gaara watched as the girl charged at him, her arms raised in front of her as she flipped into the air, having the wind carry her around him and towards his back. A wall of sand flew up as her fist swung forward, pushing her back. She opened her palms right before she hit the ground, directing the air around her towards her bottom and lifting herself back on to her feet.

She swung forward, her black hair falling in her face as two kunai flew towards her red haired teammate. The sand flew up again, but in front of him this time, leaving his back almost completey exposed.

She appeared behind him, her fist aimed for the back of his head but he ducked just in time. His sand followed her this time, wrapping around her ankle and dragging her down to the floor of the training grounds.

The sand began to move from her ankles to her wrists, wrapping around them tightly. She bit her bottom lip as she struggled to get free.

"Gaara, okay. You win," she said, but the sand continued to tighten. "Gaara!"

The sand began to retract, showing bruised and bloody wrists. She sighed, standing up and stretching them. The boy said nothing to her, only continued to stare with cold eyes. Picking up her bag from by the tree, Kita swung it over her shoulder and began walking off the training grounds.

"Come get me when you want to actually train," she said, not even bothering to look back at him.

* * *

The days dragged on with the same routine. Kita would wake up and make her way to the training grounds, eventually being greeted by here red haired, blood thirsty teammate in the process. They would train together and he would take it too far every time. As much as she wanted to have faith in the boy, it got harder by the day.

Days became weeks, and the month time frame was slowly making it's close. Within the break between exams, the girl had tapped in to more ability than she could have ever hoped to have accomplished with years of experience. She had managed to almost land a hit on the sand wielder, which was better than most jounin.

However, despite her abilities, she became more nervous the closer the exam date became. She didn't know if she would even get to fight - if her battle came before Gaara's and Sasuke's, she knew she would. But after... there was no telling.

The night before the exam the young girl had been walking back to her shared room at the motel at the end of the village. It was late, even for her, but she had spent hours at the training grounds with no interruption from Gaara. His lack of presence was like a breath of fresh air - she could finally test her abilities without fear of being stopped or held back by his malicious intent. Time eventually slipped from her, and only when the sun was setting did she realize that it was no longer morning.

The girl walked with ease, not paying much attention to the village around her. After tomorrow she would be leaving the Leaf forever, so there was no point in paying attention to the buildings or monuments around her.

She didn't even let out a gasp as her wrists were grabbed and twisted together. Kita swung her foot around, trying to catch the oppsoer in his lower regions.

"Cheap shot," the man seethed, pushing her bound wrists up her back. "Even for a traitor."

Using the wall beside her as leverage, she swung up, unbinding her wrists and using the wind around her as a safety. The man ducked just as her foot made contact with the same area his face had once been. She landed on the ground a few feet away, skidding to a halt.

"Who the hell are you?" She asked, narrowing unnatural gray eyes at him. The man, whose face had been covered by a blank, white mask, noticed this change immediately. There's no way, he thought. The reports said nothing about a kekki genki.

"It doesn't matter," he replied. "You won't remember it in a few moments, anyway. Not when I'm done with you."

She charged first this time, a kunai out in front of her. The man jumped as soon as she swung, landing on her back, which sent her crashing straight for the ground. The kunai fell out of her hand at the impact, her face hitting the cement the same tinme as the rest of her body. The man landed smoothly, his left foot on top of her back and his right pushing against the back of her head.

"Did you really think you could beat me?" He asked. "Just like you really thought the village would just let you roam freely on it's streets after what you did."

Kita grunted, trying to move away from him but he only pushed down on her head harder. She coughed, drops of blood falling on to the ground in front of her.

"Don't worry, princess. I'll end this quick."

She closed her eyes, waiting for the final blow, waiting to be put out of her misery.

But it never came.

Instead, the man on top of her was quickly pushed back with a blood curtling scream, the sound of crushing bones being his final testimony of his loyalty to the Village. Kita opened her eyes, looking up as small pieces of sand fell in front of her face.

She looked up, her grey eyes meeting green as a waves of sand wrapped around her waist and lifted her up onto her feet.

"Gaara."

"Shut up," her teammate responded, turning around. "Before you ruin everything."

Kita nodded, dusting herself off and following him back to the motel.

Gaara entered his room without even a glance, slamming the door just as Kita made it up the steps. She was taken aback, to say the least. Her hair was tangled and she was sure there was dried blood all over her. The man... whoever he was, he was gone now. And that's all the should have mattered.

But it wasn't.

The girl leaned against the railing of the balcony directly outside her door, rubbing her upper arm in an attempt of comfort. How had Gaara found her? Why had he saved her?

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before entering the room to a sleeping Temari.

* * *

_The small girl looked up at the man in the monkey mask with a subtle pout, her grey-green eyes the only thing he chose to acknowledge about her. He had been assigned to take her to the Hokage tower residence, where she would live until her tenth birthday. He had been assigned as her care taker - to watch and protect her until the fateful day where she would be put off to another. _

_She wore a simple, silk black dress, with a red shall hanging over her shoulders. There was no way the princess could be more than six years old. It was a shame, really, that such a young girl had lost both her parents in a matter of two years._

_She refused to speak to him the first two days of their encounter. When he had brought her to the room she had promptly slammed the door in his face, and did not open it until she had gotten too hungry to function. She came out on the third day, a dizzy look in her eyes as she asked the man to take her somewhere to eat._

_He brought her to the local ramen stand, and was admittedly surprised at the amount of food the young girl could take in. He emptied his pockets on five bowls of ramen, four of them belonging to the raven haired child. _

_Eventually, time went on, and the months dragged on to years as they also did. The monkey masked man was reluctant to give up his duty as caretaker of the Lord's daughter. When he had approached the Hokage about his attachment, Sarutobi offered him the position permanently. He would take care of the Nama heir for the next six years before he would be inducted back into the ANBU ranks permanently. _

_"Why her sixteenth birthday, Hokage-sama?"_

_"Because on her sixteenth birthday, Kita Nama will return home, and will be properly introduced back into the Fire country as it's leader."_

* * *

Kita woke up before the sunrise, carefully slipping out of bed as to not disturb her sleeping partner. The girl threw on her clothes, which had slowly become more prominent of her affiliation with the opposing village by the day. Long, black pants that reached her ankles, and a long sleeved fishnet shirt covered by a black top that only wrapped around her chest. She pulled her raven hair back into a ponytail, and slipped out the door within seconds.

She made her way over to the academy, hoping that by some grace she would be able to sit on the small wooden swing in peace. She needed time to process the day that was ahead of her.

Was she ready for this?

Could she ever really be ready for this?

What would her mother think?

Better yet, what would her father think?

She sighed, bowing her head as she walked, her guilt building up by the second.

Lord Kenji had never liked the Village Hidden in the Leaves, yet he had never opposed it, either. And at the end of the day the Village was still apart of the land that he had loved.

But that village had betrayed her, which in the end betrayed him. That didn't make any of it okay, but it did make it more bearable.

"Good morning, Kita."

The girl looked over, her eyes wide in surprise. A small smile found her lips as she took in the man before her.

"Good morning, Shiro," she said to the man perched on the swing. "You're in my spot."

The man let out a small laugh, shaking his head before lifting his hand to his face and pulling off the mask. Kita smiled as her eyes met blue, making her way over to him and holding out her arms. The man stood and embraced the girl, before letting her take his seat.

They talked until the sun rose, and the young girl couldn't help but appreciate the small amount of time she got to share with him before the day begun. It was their last chance at a normal relationship, a normal bond, before everything went to hell.


	7. Those We Love

**Chapter Seven: Those We Love**

* * *

_"You're not sleeping?"_

_The boy turned from his spot on the roof of the Kazekage's tower and stared t the girl before him. She was short, small in width, with medium length raven hair and the oddest pair of eyes. How did one orb manage to be two colors?_

_His sand made it's way out of his gourd, wrapping around her ankles tightly. She didn't move, instead looking out into the sky as he had been moments before._

_"You should leave," the boy finally spoke. "Or I'll kill you."_

_The girl sighed, shaking her head._

_"You're name is Gaara, right?"_

_The boy grunted, closing his eyes in frustration._

_"A demon that loves only itself," she quoted, making the boy's eyes snap open and the sand around her ankles begun crawling up her legs._

_"My name is Kita," she continued. "A child born free. It's funny, isn't it? How our names are supposed to define us... yet, they are so completely, and utterly wrong."_

_She stepped back, watching as the sand fell from her legs._

_"I'll see you tomorrow, Gaara. Sleep good."_

* * *

"It's genjutsu!"

Kakashi ducked as a fist swung for his his head. He slide underneath his attacker, a grim expression crossing his face as he gazed at the young girl.

"What are you doing!?" he demanded, gritting his teeth. The girl smirked, rasing her hands in a defensive stance as she planned to take on the copy ninja.

"Stalling."

Kita charged, her eyes a pure green as she moved her arms upward, swinging a gust of wind in the direction of the former ANBU member.

"Sakura!" he called towards his pink haired student. "Today you will be put on your first mission in a long time... Go, wake up Naruto and Shikamaru and find Sasuke!"

Sakura nodded, taking a quick glance towards the raven haired girl before sprinting in the opposite direction. Kakashi charged at her, chidor bared as he aimed straight fo the girl's stomach. A blue barrier surrounded her before his fist touched, the shock of the defense fiving her enough time to swing her leg around and kick the jounin in the jaw.

_What!? How could she...?_

The man turned, retreating towards his students. Kita chased after him, using the air around her to accelerate her speed. No amount of effort she put in would allow her to match Kakashi, but as long as she distracted him long enough for her teammates to escape, she would be good enough.

The man made it two Sakura just as she released the genjutsu from the two shinboi.

Kakashi stood in front of the three of them with his arms open.

"Kakashi! What's going on...?" Naruto asked.

"Find Sasuke and stop him," the man ordered. "Then find a safe place to hide until this is all over."

Kakashi prepared for the attack as soon as he saw that the three had begun their journey. All he saw were bright green eyes and a flash of light, and Kita Nama was gone.

* * *

_Shit shit shit shit shit. Where are they? Kankuro? Temari? Please tell me you got out. Please._

The world was erupting around her. The walls of Kohana had crumbled, the people around her fighting for their lives. She had to get out of there.

She had to find them.

* * *

"Temari," the girl jumped down, grabbing her friend by the arms and dragging her over to the nearest tree. "Temari, are you okay?"

The blonde coughed, pulling away from the girl and grabbing her stomach.

"We tried to get him out," she said. "We failed. Please..."

"I'm going," Kita shot up, allowing herself one last look at her fallen teammate before dashing back into the forest.

* * *

Kita stopped, almost falling off of the tree at her abrupt halt. She grabbed on to the trunk for support, grey-green eyes wide at the sight of the tanned arm that had erupted from her teammate's body.

"People who bring unnecessary emotions into battle should just die," he seethed.

"I don't care what you think," Naruto spat, standing up. Kita only narrowed her eyes. "I'm going to kick your ass!"

"You so called shinobi do not know the meaning of being strong."

"Shut up!" Naruto charged, kunai in hand, just as Kita jumped from her spot in the tree, knocking him right in the abdomen. He lost balance, falling back as she positioned herself in front of her deformed comrade.

"Kita..." The blonde haired boy gasped, staring up at the raven haired girl. "What are you doing!?"

"Kohana betrayed them, and Kohana betrayed me. You fight for this village, you're fighting against me!" She drew a kunai in one hand, using the other to motion him forward. "Come on, Naruto. Show me what your village is made of!"

Naruto glanced between her and the red haired shinobi she stood in front of. What... this can't be happening! But it was. He saw the determinated plastered across her face, the way she had been gripping her sand headband at the exams... She was no longer apart of Kohana, and at this point that made her an enemy.

"Alright, Kita. You asked for it!"

He charged at her, aiming his fist for her head. She ducked just in time, swinging her legs in a spiraling motion. Naruto felt himself being picked up and thrown by a gust of wind, a look of pure confusion escaping the confines of his face as his blue eyes connected with dark grey.

_What the... Her eyes!_

She held up one hand behind her, focusing two fingers in Gaara's direction as her other hand formed the ever famous seal. The air tightened around the half man, half monster, thickening and forming around him as a barrier.

"Kita..." Gaara growled. "You're useless. The sand... the sand is all I need to protect me."

"Shut up. Before you ruin everything," she spat, his same words only a night before echoing back at him. He watched as the girl charged, countering every one of Naruto's attacks.

Coal eyes looked up from their spot on the ground, watching as flashes of orange and black raced through the forest. Sasuke squinted, trying to make out his surroundings but inevitably failing. The curse had begun to crawl back into the mark on his neck, but he was still beyond winded. He... needed to help Naruto. Needed to defeat Gaara. Needed to protect Sakura.

_All of this... and he was weak, still..._

His brother's eyes flashed before him, and he clenched his fists.

How could he expect to beat Itachi, when he couldn't even beat a genin?

Sasuke sat up, grabbing his wirst as he focused his chakra to the palm of his hand. Looking up, he focused solely on the person opposing his blonde haired teammate. He had enough chakra left for one shot, and afterwards he would be done for.

He stood, activating his sharigan and jumping into the battle, his fist aimed for the flash of black that had been countering his friend.

With perfect aim, the young Uchiha prodigy drove his fist through the chest of the enemy;

through the chest of the princess of the fire country.

"Sasuke...!" Naruto yelled, pushing his friend out of the way. He went to grab the girl before she fell to the ground, but missed by a milisecond. Sand swam up from the trees, gripping the girl's body tightly before gently placing her on the ground. The two Kohana shinobi looked from each other to Gaara, whose mouth was seething with drool.

"No more games," the red haired shinobi spat. "You die now!"

* * *

_"My name is Kita. I am twelve years old, and originally come from the Land of Fire. I specialize in defensive attack and wind nature techniques." _

_"What are we going to do with a twelve year old?" The puppet boy said, barking out a laugh in the direction of his sensei. "You can't be serious!"_

_"If it helps," the girl spoke. "I'll be turning thirteen tomorrow." _

_It was Temari who laughed this time, crossing her arms and cocking her head back._

_"Come on, sensei." _

_Kita sighed, running a hand through her hair. What can I do... she thought... how can I prove myself? _

_"Fight me."_

_She turned towards the shorter of the three, his dark eyes staring directly at her. _

_"Excuse me?" Had she spoken out loud?_

_"Fight me," he repeated. "If you don't die, then you can join us. If you do... then there's one less nuisance in this world for me to deal with."_

* * *

"Hey Naruto," Sasuke said, grabbing his arm. "You better rescue Sakura no matter what. And once you do... I need you to grab her and run. I can buy you some time... if it ends here, that means I was only capable of getting this far.

I've lost everything once... I never want to see an important friend die in front of me, ever again."

Naruto stood, clenching his fists as he turned his head from the young Uchiha to the monster standing in front of him. He allowed a glance over to behind where Gaara stood, the small body of the girl Sasuke had killed laying beneath a blanket of sand.

"He's like me..." Naruto started. "I've felt the same loneliness and sadness in my life... That's why I thought he was strong, because he was alone and fought only for himself. But that's not what being strong means."

"Naruto..."

"You can't become truly strong if you only fight for yourself. A person is able to become truly strong when they wish to protect someone they cherish," his gaze tightened on the body of the girl he wished had stuck around to see the true meaning of precious people, the true meaning of friendship.

Sasuke's eyes widened as a blue chakra began to form around his blonde haired friend.

_"You'll regret giving up on me. I will be a shinobi. I will fight for my right to protect those I care about!"_

She cared about him... Naruto thought, the girl's words echoing through his head. She risked her life to protect him... and she paid the ultimate price.

_If I have to do that too, then so be it._

"I swear... I will protect those I love! I will protect everyone!"


	8. Precious People

**Chapter Eight: Precious People **

* * *

_"Hey, baby girl. Hey, hey," a silver haired woman cooed, the smaller version of herself grabbing her pointer fingers with both her hands. "Yeah? You wanna hold your mama's hand? Come here." The woman picked the baby up from the crib, setting her on her skirted hip and twirling in a circle._

_"Lady Hitomi."_

_The woman stopped twirling, turning towards the figure that had just emerged from the door to her room. Silver hair fell in front of green eyes, a smile dancing on red lips._

_"Did you come to see Kita, Kiro?" the woman asked, grinning brightly. "I finally named her. Kita Nama, it has a ring to it doesn't it? Do you know what Kita means?"_

_"As much as I'd love to hear about it, you have a visitor," the man said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly._

_The woman nodded, motioning the man over and shoving the small, raven haired infant in his arms. The baby laughed, clapping her hands together, and then bopping the man over the nose._

_Hitomi grabbed a small pouch from her dresser, moving her skirt to the side and attaching it to the bandages on her upper thigh. She threw her hair up in a ponytail and slipped her bare feet into a secure pair of sandals._

_"Lock the room," the woman commanded, slamming the door being her._

* * *

"I can't carry both of them," Kankuro groaned.

"Then take Gaara," his sister commanded, bending over and sliding her arms underneath the bloodied body of her teammate. "I'll get Kita."

"She looks dead to me. Let's just leave her here."

"Kankuro!"

"I know, I know," he said, walking over to his younger brother and lifting him over his shoulder. "Get her and let's go."

* * *

_The three year old looked over the balcony, staring down at the mass of people who had gathered in the common room of the abandonned hotel her mother had somehow managed to acquire. It had been three months since they had stopped traveling, which was a gift within itself, but the young child had felt herself grow restless._

_The girl grabbed the top of the balcony's edge, lifting herself up on to it in attempt to peer over it and gaze at the people who were slowly gathering._

_"Kita, what are you doing?"_

_Caught off guard, the girl squeeled, losing her balance and falling forward._

_She closed her eyes, embracing herself for the fall, but instead felt herself being tugged upward. She looked back to see a man in an orange masked holding her up by the collar of her dress._

_"Be careful, princess," the man said, lifting her back up over the railing and setting her on the ground. "You wouldn't want to hurt yourself."_

* * *

"It's been two days Gaara... it's time to go home."

"We're not leaving without her."

Kankuro looked from his younger brother to the patient on the hospital bed. They had been locked up in the Village Hidden in the Leaves for days, waiting for a proper hearing. Now that their father was dead, Suna's loyalties were more in question than they had ever been. Were the people to be blamed because of bad leadership? What was the Village goingtHE to do now that their own Hokage had passed? The council had given the Sand Siblings the okay to leave, but Gaara had refused to leave without the raven haired child.

"Gaara, she's from here. They'll take care of her," Kankuro said. "Right now you need to take care of yourself."

"Kankuro," the younger of the two said, closing his eyes in frustration. He didn't know how he was going to do it - how he was going to change. It was so much easier just to hail death threats and follow through with them than to try to be reasonable with other people. "Go."

"Gaara - "

"I said _go,_" the boy commanded, causing his brother's eyes to widen and his brow to drip with sweat. Kankuro nodded, not even bothering with a good bye as he exited the room.

If she didn't wake up, if she died completely, any hope Gaara had of changing would be completely diminished. How could he live like Naruto, when he couldn't even protect one girl? How could he live for others, when the people he wanted to live for were already gone? If she didn't wake up, it would be his fault. He just stood and watched as the Uchiha shoved his jutsu straight through her chest. He could have saved her, and deep down maybe he wanted to, but at that moment he couldn't himself to do it. She was a nuisance, a loose end, and he truly thought that having her gone would be easier on him.

He was wrong, just like he was wrong about everything else.

Now all he could do is pray that the universe would align it's stars and allow him to right them.

* * *

The first thing she saw was white.

* * *

Gaara stood back, watching as the nurses ran around the bed. Kita was screaming and thrashing around, fresh tears running down her face as she tried to fight them off.

It was as he was waiting outside the room that he heard about the boy who had tried to take the life of the girl who had protected him. Naruto had left the village in search of him.

If there was any time to right his wrongs, it would be now.

He left without a word.

* * *

_"Daddy, why did you and mom break up?" _

_Lord Kenji looked down his daughter and smiled._

_"I did something bad," he replied. "And she could never forgive me for it."_

* * *

When the red haired sand shinobi returned to the Village Hidden in the Leaves, he had returned a completely new person. The first steps he took directed him towards the hospital, where news that Kita Nama had finally awoken from her coma. He had made plans to help rebuild the village, or at least part of it, before leaving back to Suna to repair the damage his recently passed father had done.

He had walked in to the girl laying in the middle of the floor, pulling on the cord that connected her to the IV. He stood, puzzled, not saying a word. It took her a few minutes to notice him, and when she did the biggest smile he had ever seen her carry rushed to her face.

The girl stood up, somehow over estimating her ability and instead tangling herself within the IV and falling forward. Kita closed her eyes, preparing herself for the impact that never came. Grey-green eyes widened as she was pushed back up to her feet and on to the bed by a hand full of sand.

"Thank you," she said, dusting a few grains off of her white hospital gown. "Are... are you okay? The last time I saw you - "

"I'm fine," Gaara responded. "It's you that isn't."

She gave him a questioning look, tilting her head to the side.

"Crutches," he said. "You're leg is broken. You tried to stand on it. You need crutches."

The girl rubbed the back of her head and grinned sheepishly.

"I'll be fine, Gaara. Really, I just - "

"Shut up," he responded, turning his back to her and walking out of the door. She stood their confused, not sure what she did to make him mad, and not sure why he was acting so different in the first place. She sighed, pushing herself back up on to the bed, raven hair falling in to her face. The door opened just as she was about to lay down, once again revealing her red haired comrade.

With a pair of crutches in his arms.

* * *

_"What do you mean, Kenji!?" Hitomi screamed, taking the golden headband off of her head and throwing it on the ground._

_"I'm sorry, Hitomi. I didn't mean - "_

_"Didn't mean it!? Kenji," the woman sobbed, falling to her knees and burrying her face in her hands. The young lord looked down at his wife, his grey eyes watering at the sight of her. How did they come to this? How did they become so... out of touch?_

_"We're going to get through this," he said, bending over and placing his hands on her shoulders. She pulled away forcefully, backing herself into a corner and staring at him as if he were the devil himself._

_"Get out," she wailed. "Just get out!"_

* * *

It had been two days since the sand siblings had returned to village. In that amount of time they had managed to gather a small committee of able bodied Suna shinobi to help rebuild the village. They had started with the academy, and planned to end there, but Kita's recovery time was taking longer than expected. She had started her physical therapy, but weening herself off the crutches was harder than previously imagined.

It was the second day of reconstruction that Gaara had taken Kita out for a walk. The girl was slow and stumbling, but her progress was definitely showing. It was as they neared the Academy, which had basically been demolished by Orochimaru's summon, that she stopped him.

"Gaara, why are you being so nice to me?"

The boy stopped, staring at her. She had been knocked unconcious during Naruto's speech, during the sand shinboi's defeat, and through Sasuke's disapearance. She had missed everything critical that had happened over the past week, so of course she would find it out of the ordinary.

"Sasuke didn't break your leg, Kita. I did."

"Excuse me?"

The boy closed his eyes.

"Sasuke gave you the wound in your stomach, but... I broke your leg. When you were falling, Naruto was at the perfect angle to catch you but... I was stubborn. So I used my stand to brace your fall, but I wasn't quick enough."

Her eyes were wide, but not in fear or disgust like he had previously thought. They were wide with disbelief.

"Gaara... you... What happened to you?"

He looked at her oddly, not sure how to answer her question. What had happened to him? He wasn't hurt, or injured... he was just different. He wasn't happy, but he was content. He had goals, dreams, and now purpose; he could no longer live for himself, because if he did he would just continue on the same road he was on. Now, he just needed to find someone to live for.

His silence was all she needed. Kita stumbled over to the swing outside the Academy, which was somehow still intact even after all of the destruction.

"I used to come here every day, you know," she said, grabbing on to the rope that held the wooden board to the tree. "I never knew why, it was just the first place I could think of whenever I needed to be alone. When I first came to Kohana, I was so upset that I locked myself in my room for days. My father had been killed, I had no mother, no home, and suddenly I was moving into a village filled with people my mother detested. I had no friends, no motivation, and my life had already been decided for me." She sat down, facing the boy as he stood with his arms crossed. "It took me a few months... but eventually, I got used to being alone. But eventually, I couldn't handle it anymore. I needed a purpose, needed a way of life, and eventually the dreams I had abandoned after my father died began to resurface again. I was so sick and tired of people controlling me, of telling me what I had to do and who I had to be."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I heard about your father," she said. "And I know you weren't close. I know things between the both of you were hard. And I want you to know that even if you're feeling alone right now, even though you've been alone your entire life. You're not the only one whose lonely. And whatever you're going through right now, whatever it is that's making you act this way... that's making you care... it's not bad. And I really, really hope it stays..."

"How can you have so much faith in me?"

"I defected from Kohana so that I could be a shinobi. I betrayed Kohana shinobi in order to follow my dreams," she said. Gaara said nothing, still confused by her words. What did that have to do with anything?

"My dream was to become strong enough to protect those I care about," she continued. "But most of all, underneath all of the fighting and betrayl, underneath the strength it would take to become a true shinobi...

...my dream was to find someone precious to protect. To find someone to care about. And when I met you... when I saw you on the roof that night, when you threatened to kill me but you didn't, I knew that you needed someone. You needed someone to protect you. Maybe not physically, but mentally. You had the ability to change... to become your own person, instead of the monster every body had turned you in to. And then maybe, just maybe, you would need someone precious, too."


	9. In-between Days

**Chapter Nine: In-between Days**

* * *

When they returned to Suna, everything was a mess; citizens were threatening to riot, shinobi had all but put down their weapons for good, and the council was all but helpful. Who would be Kazekage? Who would take the place as the Leader of a Village who now had no allies? Their fallen leader had named no successor, and if they were to appoint someone by mere birth their choices were limited; the woman, the puppet, or the monster?

Kita was brought to the hospital immediately and had begun physical therapy the same day they returned. Her contact with the sand siblings had been limited due to the political tension sweeping through the Village, and though she was not alone (the doctors made sure of it until her leg was healed and her lungs were at least at a 90% functioning rate) she couldn't help but feel extremely lonely without them.

Missions were at a standstill, which meant that until the council could figure something out, she was at a complete loss at what to do. She would wake up in time for her eight o'clock appointment, be out of the hospital by eleven, eat lunch, and then return home to her small apartment complex and sit on the balcony with Kusko until the sun set and she realized that dinner was a necessity, too.

"What are we going to eat tonight?" she asked, looking down at the small black cat in her lap. Kusko said nothing, as usual, only buried his face into her lap and purred a bit louder.

"Nothing sounds good to me, too," she replied, staring up at the sky as it made it's way from orange to a dark blue-black. It had to have been at least two months since the return to the Village, and there was still nothing for her. No decision on Kazekage, no decision on the political or financial standings that would inevitably effect all of Suna's people, no... anything.

She was growing more frustrated by the day. How hard was it to choose a leader? She understood wanting to make sure the new Kazekage was fit for the position, but there was no such thing as a perfect person and if they waited too long then there would be nothing for the heir to lead, anyway. The Village would collapse before the councils eyes, and it would be reduced to nothing but a small bandit town in the middle of the desert.

Kusko meowed, sensing his owner's tension but Kita did not move from her spot on the porch.

"Whatcha thinkin about, Kita?"

The girl screamed, flinging the cat into the air as she turned around, kunai beared. The painted boy blinked, a confused look on his face as he surveyed the girl in front of him. Where would she even keep a kunai...? he wondered, looking her up in down. No pouches, no...anything. She's just wearing that little black dress and...

"What makes you think you can just sneak up on me like that? How did you get into my house... and why are you grinning like that? Your face is turning red, Kankuro."

"Sorry, sorry," Kankuro replied, waving his hand to brush it off but his grin never faltering. "Didn't mean to give you a heart attack. I came for a favor."

* * *

"This is combat training," Temari's voice boomed throughout the crowd of children. "Select the weapon you feel will be right for you."

The four of them stood at the front of the crowd; Kita to the far left, then Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari on the far right. Though it had only been a few months, they all had a sense of maturity radiating off of them. Kita thought it was the clothes, but even her choice of attire had changed and she didn't feel that different.

"Do you have to select one?" A timid voice called from the crowd.

"Excuse me?" Kankuro asked, a bit put off by the question. He had to bite his tongue, reminding himself that they were here to teach children that had never seen combat before, let alone held a weapon in their hands. Still, they must have known what they were signing up for.

"Using a weapon means you're going to hurt the other person, and maybe even kill them."

Kita ground her teeth together. Was this kid serious?

"A weapon - " Gaara spoke, but paused, re-assessing his train of thought. Gray-green eyes locked on his figure, not sure what he could possibly say to diffuse the situation. "No, it's nothing."

"A ninja mission is not a game," Temari spoke.

"And if you use that type of logic, you're the one whose going to get killed," Kankuro finished for her. Kita flexed her fists, the fabric of her gloves rubbing between her fingers as she did so.

"This combat training assignment will be against one of the four of us," Kita spoke. "You have to option to assemble into whichever group you'd like, so take a moment to think about it and disperse."

"Come on Gaara, smile! If you look like that, no one's going to be pick you," Temari said, leaning over Kankuro to pat her brother on the shoulder as the kids dispersed evenly between the two sand siblings and the raven haired girl, leaving Gaara with the awkward looking kid from before.

"So, has everyone chosen their weapons?" Kita asked, glancing down at the children before her. There had to be at least nine of them, each of them distinct in their own way. Three girls and six boys, each of their faces as eager as the next. "Good, now we can begin. The first thing is - "

"Is it true you're really a princess?" one of the girls asked, grinning wildly up at her with pearly white teeth.

"Whaaaat?" another one of the girls chimed in. "Really? You're a princess, sensei!?"

Kita's eyes twitched, and she had to prevent herself from slapping herself in the face.

"This isn't the time," she responded. "Now let's go."

The children chose their weapons, and Kita took a set amount of time to explain each of them. The kunai, the shuriken, the difference between a katana and a regular sword, and the wooden club - which she had to prevent laughing at, since she thought of a bat as a cheap children's toy. But they are children, she had to remind herself, and so are you.

It was halfway through that she sensed an opposing presence above them; someone was watching, and though their chakra was not malicious it seemed... foriegn, which could only mean whoever was watching them was not an ally.

She stopped her training, walking over to Temari to inform her of the intrusion, but by that time it was too late. A shinobi had stumbled in, battered and bruised, and had gone straight for Gaara. Temari and Kita glanced at each other before going after them.

"The patrol ninja were attacked. A group calling themselves the Shitenshounin, the Ultimate Weapons, and they want to challenge you. They claimed that if you do not accept their challenge, they will kidnap someone close to you every day until you respond."

"Let's go," Temari said. "We'll get the kids out of here and then go to the Jounin council."

The three nodded in unison, following after the older kunoichi. It was when they saw a single weapon lying on the ground did they stop. Gaara walked forward and looking ahead at the direction it had been pointing.

"They're moving northeast, and Masturi is the first sacrifice," he said.

"But their real target is you," Kita said. "Which meant that they must have seen you training her, and figured she was a good start."

"Yes, we should hurry to the jounin meeting," Gaara responded grimly.

* * *

"The Shitenshounin have left to the northeast, sandwiching the river country with us is the Fire Country. At this time, I believe we should request cooperation from Kohana," one of the council members spoke from their position at the round table. There was a mumble of agreements, and Baki turned to the four shinobi standing at the door.

"Temari, Gaara, Kankuro. Form a squad and make preparations to pursue," he spoked. "Kita, you will remain here as a liason between the Fire Country and us. With you present, we believe Kohana will be active in helping us."

Kita's fists clenched, but she said nothing in response. Did these people not realize what she had done to Kohana? That the tension that surrounded her and the Village went much further than Suna's loyalities to Orochimaru during the chuunin exams? Of course not; with the Kazekage dead, there was no knowledge of Kita's betrayal. They had kept it between each other, an unspoken deal; Kita would remain loyal to Suna, and in exchange for protection she would tell the Kazekage all he needed to know about the Village Hidden in the Leaves. At the time, she had no idea that the information given would be leaked to Orochimaru, but she had been naive of the Kazekage's intentions, of his split loyalties. Kohana did not know this for a fact, but the young princess would not put it past them to figure it out themselves.

"Wait a minute," Kankuro spoke, the anger he felt seeping through her words. "The enemy's objective is Gaara! Are we supposed to just fall into their trap?"

"That's right! Why aren't we deploying other units?"

"This could be a diversion. If we send more people, we will have fewer here in the village," Baki responded.

"Well then, you're coming with us, aren't you?" Kankuro asked.

There was a moment of silence before Baki answered.

"I have been given a different mission. So go, and take your students."

"No," Kita spoke, glaring at the table of jounin before them. "If you won't go and help them then I'm not going to stand here and pretend that tension between me and the Leaf are good. I'm going to go with them, and I'm going to help them."

"Kita, you are more useful here."

"With my help Kohana will be more likely to deny Suna altogether. Despite what the former Kazekage has told you, I abandoned the Fire Country, I have no say there anymore. I'm going, and if you refuse this then you will see for yourself what Kohana truly thinks of me. You're only hurting yourself making me stay here. The Village is in no state for you to risk losing an ally. Or have you forgotten already what has happened?"

The sand siblings stared at the girl with wide eyes, all unsure of what to say in response. When Baki gave the okay, the four left without a word, but the same thought began to spiral in each of the siblings mind as they watched the girl in black fly ahead of them and back to the school:

Kita Nama was a natural born leader, and had the crises that had arisen in Suna happened when she was just a little bit older, with unquestioned loyalties and perfected shinobi abilities, she would have made an excellent candidate for Kazekage.

It's as if they had all forgotten that she was Lord Kenji's daughter, and he had been one of the best Leader's the Fire Country had ever known. It was a given that his daughter would follow closely in his footsteps, unaware of the destiny that awaited her thanks to her father's teachings.


	10. Objective

**Chapter Ten: Objective**

* * *

They were flying through the trees in formation. Gaara was only slightly in front, with Kita directly beside him and Temari and Kankuro following behind.

They were slowed down as a gust of wind flew at them, knocking them back a few feet.

"What the hell? A wind user?" Temari asked, glancing over to her raven haired companion. They locked eyes and Kita nodded, a sour look on her face as she turned back to the direction of the attack. Temari reached back, grabbing her fan and swinging it forward. The wind soon changed direction, flowing away from them and cutting down the trees.

"That was pretty good, Temari," Kankuro said.

"Of course it was."

"He's right," another voice called. "It was."

The four watched as a woman descended from the trees, landing swifting in front of the blonde, her own blue hair striking in comparison.

"You managed to defeat my Senmoufu," she continued.

"Go on ahead," Temari called.

"Are you sure?" Kita asked, her eyes narrowed towards the blue haired woman in front of them.

"I'll be enough to take her on. Now hurry, " she said, locking eyes with her younger brother.

Gaara nodded. "I'll leave it to you."

With a nod the three left her; Kankuro defected soon enough, a puppet vs. puppet match Kita wasn't sure was the best idea. She offered to stay - to protect Kankuro as a back-up, but he pushed her ahead. They were after Gaara, which meant the red-haired demon child would need her the most.

"We're obviously on the right trail," Kta called out to Gaara, who had taken a more elaborate lead a good ten feet ahead of her. "Now here's to hoping that there's not too many more of - "

She was cut short as the branch underneath her broke. The girl jumped to the side, using the wind to swing her body around a nearby tree as she landed at Gaara's side on the ground. She glanced over at him for a brief second before focusing all of her attention towards the bearded man in front of them.

"You aren't going any further," he called. "Gaara, fight me!"

Kita stepped in front of him, two kunai positioned in front of her chest as she narrowed green eyes.

"I can handle this," he said, the sand from his gourd beginning to leak out. "Stay back."

"Gaara, this could be a trap."

"Then wait for it."

She said no more. With a final glance towards their opponent, she jumped back, landing behind her red haired companion. She watched as the sand began to flow rapidly from the container on his back, the tension in the air growing with each passing second. With a sigh, she grabbed the bark of the nearest tree, digging her fingers into it and closing her eyes. Her fee hand came up to her chest, and she focused her chakra on the sand flowing from Gaara's back.

Emerald eyes widened as the sand before him began to glow, and he had to prevent the tiniest turn of his lips as he realized what was happening.

Kita's eyes opened as she sensed an upcoming chakra, but she said nothing. If she was to alert Gaara, she would be alerting the enemy shinobi as well. Usually, it wouldn't matter; but there was a slight chance the shinobi heading towards them were allies, and she could not risk giving away their upper hand.

With each strike the man threw Gaara's sand protected it; but with Kita's barrier, his sand was doing more than defend him. The weapon was a long one, spikes at the end of a chain, and each time it hid his barrier of sand the glowing chakra would bite off the weapon a chip at a time. It wasn't much, but the girl figured that a band of shinobi calling themsleves the Ultimate Weapons didn't have much going for them outside of that.

"Pretty good, Gaara of the Desert. How much chakra is molded into that sand, hm?"

"Do you want to find out?" his voice was deadly. "However, it'll be in exchange for your life!"

The sand wrapped around the bearded man, and Gaara closed his fist.

_Sand coffin is a basic defense,_ she thought. _But these shinobi specifically sought out Gaara. There's no way they would have walked into a fight with him without knowing any information. It's the only reason why I'm here... Gaara is deadly, no one would go through all this trouble just to challenge him without knowing his basic techniques..._

And just as she thought, the sand around the man dispersed. She bit her lip.

"Impossible. You absorbed the sand's chakra..."

_And mine too. Which means... each time he hit Gaara's sand... his weapon wasn't breaking, it was absorbing... I've wasted all this chakra for nothing._

Kita broke the seal, looking around before latching on to the closest tree branch and swinging herself up. She looked back, sensing the fights between the other siblings. _Where is my place here?_ she thought, staring back down at the two. _Wait til someone gets hurt and then step up and fight? Or jump in and hope I can help somehow?_

"That's right! This armor swallows chakra. I've been collecting it this entire time. As long as your chakra isn't molded into it, your sand is nothing."

He swung his weapon in Gaara's direction, and the sand flew up quick to grab it. They both watched as the glowing blue chakra left the sand and went straight for the man's chest. Kita watched as sand began to flow below Gaara's feet, creating a pedastool for the boy to be lifted up on. She jumped up, hoping to climb as far up the trees as she could to catch up with the two, but was quickly stopped when a kunai embedded itself into her shoulder.

_What! I didn't even sense them...where..._ she ground her teeth together, narrowing her eyes. _Where the hell are they!_

Gray eyes widened as she was pulled from the trees. Gaara turned, directing his sand towards her but it was futile. A chakra string was attached to the kunai, wrapping around her shoulder and dragging her through the trees faster than the sand could reach her. Gaara called her name, but that was all he could do - he had to defeat the enemy in front of him, and hope Kita could hold her own until then.

* * *

_The little girl stared up at the orange masked man with a disturbed look on her face. She was three now, and much more aware of the world around her than normal children her age. It may have been the environment she had been living in - one constantly moving, full of instability where adaption was absolutely necessary - or it may have been the strong willed nature she had inherited from both her mother and her father._

_"Let's go on a walk, Lady Kita," the man said. "You haven't been out of the hide-out all day."_

_The girl had to resist rolling her eyes._

_"Why do you call it a hide-out?" she asked, picking the end of her dress off the floor and bundling it in her arms. Why did her robes have to be so long, she wondered. Why couldn't her mother hem it, or just buy her a new one? Money was not a worry in their life; they took what they can get from anyone who could be seen as a threat to their cause. Stealing from the rich to feed the poor seemed like such a hoax to the girl, but it put food on the table and clothes on her body. "What are we hiding from exactly?"_

_Especially with the enemy right in front of me, she thought, but she would not say it. She couldn't explain it - the disturbing vibe she got from the man in front of her, the way she could feel him smirking behind the mask every time Lady Hitomi fell into another one of his word spells. Her mother would never listen to her, of course. Kita was a child and obviously did not know what she was talking about._

_"People who want to bring your mother back to the place she hates, of course," the man replied, holding out his hand. _

_"Now, My Lady. How about that walk?"_

_With a hesitant hand the child grabbed on to the man's rough hands, letting her dress flow behind her as she walked. Tobi never understood the former Lady of the Fire Country, why she would give up her position, claiming she did not need such a lavish existence yet dressing as if she had never left the throne. Maybe it was just a woman quirk, or maybe she was as stupid as he made her out to be. If she had simply moved out of the country to lead a normal civilian existence, it would have been more understandable; but a life that was constantly on the move had no need for such aesthetics._

_Gray-green eyes glanced at him as he smirked. He turned his head, staring down at the little girl through the hole in his mask. Just a little bit longer, he reminded himself as they stepped out of the front door of the chakra-hidden home and into the clearing that led to the forest._

_Kita let go of his hand, her eyes following an orange butterfly as it flew past them. She grinned, her childish nature finally taking over as she held out her hand in an attempt to catch it. Tobi could feel the wind around him unconciously moving towards her, following in the same direction she was going as she followed the butterfly around. A girl born of Air in the middle of the Fire Country - how absurd, he thought, that a woman like Hitomi could have concieved such a powerful child._

_She turned towards him, her smile never faltering as she held up the palm of her hand. The small butterfly sat in the center, flapping it's wings but never leaving her hand._

_"Look!"_

_It was then he noticed her eyes - pure green, with only specks of gray around her pupil. He took a step back, unsure of how to respond to this; unsure that even Lady Hitomi knew that her own daughters eyes changed. How, and why were the questions that ran through his head first. What could she do? Was there an unknown bloodline limit flowing through her veins, or was this her genetics fusing two of the great clans together and creating one of their own?_

_"Amazing," Tobi deadpanned._

* * *

Kita closed her eyes, and when she re-openned them they were a pure gray. Swinging her free arm to the side, she directed the wind towards the string holding her. Fusing her remaining chakra with the force of the element, she cut through the string, grabbing onto a nearby branch with her uninjured arm and swinging herself up and onto her feet.

Steadying herself, the girl surveyed the area around her but could find no chakra sense opposed to Gaara's and his opponent, who were farther away than she would have hoped for.

"What stunning eyes you have," a voice called from the trees. Kita jumped down to the ground, giving herself a more stable area to balance herself in. She was fully healed, yes, but there was still a small limp in her step from the events at the Chuunin exams. With an opponent that she couldn't sense, she needed every advantage she could possibly get.

"Are you going to hide all day or are you going to come out and fight me?" she asked, drawing kunai out from the pouch on her thigh and crouching. The wind around her began to speed up, swirling around her, waiting for a destination to strike.

"Impatience is not a noble quality, Lady Kita."

The wind stopped.

"How do you know my name?" she asked, but she already knew the answer. She blinked once, twice, three times, trying to steady herself. Her eyes had returned to their gray-green color and the world around her had stopped on it's tilt.

She knew that voice anywhere.

There was a flash and then suddenly he was only few feet away.

"Did you miss me, my dear?" Tobi asked. "Because I sure missed you."

Images flashed through the child's head - flshbacks of her childhood she would have rather forgotten s she gripped the kunai tightly in her shaking hands. This man was her objective. This man was everything she had been working towards. This man had taken everyone away from her.

"I've been waiting for this," she said, and her voice held the malice of all the years she had spent alone - all of the years of being controlled.

Green eyes flashed through her mind, and then gray.

Two people that once loved each other torn apart. A family torn apart, and then sloppily put back together just to be ripped away from her once again.

She screamed.

And then she was running towards him.


End file.
